Rail-brace



J. G. MUELLER.

RAIL BRACE, APPLICATLON FILED NOV. 1, 1918.

Patented Sept. 21,1920.

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The binding block 6 and clamplng .mem-

u rr-an snares PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. MUELLER, or DAYTON, OHIO.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Patent d. Sept 21 1920.

Application filed November 1, 1918. Serial o; 260,648.

reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to rail braces.

An object of the invention is to provide a rail brace which can bereadily adjusted to position the rails to the desired gage and topositively retain them in fixed lateral relationwith each other. 7

It is also an object of the invention to provide a brace adapted to beapplied at the rail joints in connection Withthe fishplates to preventspreading of the rails at the joints and otherwise tostrengthen thejoint construction. I

It is also an object of the invention to provide a standard rail braceand clamp equally adaptable to the different weights in steel rails, andthe variation of dimensions in rail joint construction, or, where thedevice is used for purposes other than a rail clamp and'brace, that itmay be readily adapted to variable dimensions of the parts to be engagedthereby.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side'levation of myinventionfillustrating the brace as applied to the opposite rails of atrack; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of one set of the railclamps shown in Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown the usual track arrangement oftwo parallel rails 1 and 2 with the rail brace applied thereto. 3 is atie rod'extending between and underneath the rails and projecting beyondthe rails outside thereof. The ends of the rod are screw-threaded, as at4, to a point well inside the rails to permit of applying clampingmembers 5 on both sides of the base flange of each rail.

Coacting with the clamping member. 5 is an angular shaped binding block'6 having an upwardly extending portion '7 andj a flat portion .8adapted to contact, respec-' tively, with the edge of'therailflange'and' the bottom of the rail when the clamp is her 5 are furtherprovided with inclined bearing faces 9 and 10, respectivelyfconfriationof dimensions clamped.

' thetie rod.

tacting one with. the other, whereby both members of the clamp aresimultaneously adjusted, the inclined faces being provided with tongueand groove connection to prevent relative lateral movement. 1

The members 5 and 6 are each provided with apertures 11 and12,1respectively, of

aisize suitable to freely receive the tie rod 3. The aperture 11 in themember 5 is elongated vertically to provide for adjustclampto'difl'erent weight rails.

.ment of the members 5 and-.6 to adapt the It will be understood,therefore, that the rail brace' wherethebraces are used in connectionwith structures other than track construction the clamps are adaptableto a considerable vaof the partsto be The relation of the members 5 and6'when assembled on the tie. rod and applied to the {rails by reason ofthe coacting angular surfaces 9 and 10 is that; of the binding wedge andclamp in their effect upon the I flange of the rail, the flange beingpositively gripped on the two sides and edge thereof when the clamp isdrawn to position on Two sets of the clampingf devices usually employedwith each 'tie rod, two

for each rail, but it is-obvious, of course,"

that a greater or less number may be employed to meet the requirementsof different forms of track construction. To apply the brace to twoopposite rails lock nuts'13 arefirst run on the threaded portions of thetie rod. The inner sets of the rod and loosely adjusted thereon to'theinner flange of the "rail. The outer sets of r and adjusted to the outerflanges of the rails by lock-nuts 142. By drawing on the nuts le'tlerails may be adjusted laterally clamping devices are then placed on therod inwardly to required gage. The nuts 13am then adjusted until the'rail's are securely bound, respectively, by the clamps and arepositively held against lateral movement in either direction by thecombined action of the clamps and tie rod.

tion with the nuts 13 and 14c to prevent acci- Alocking member 15is'used in connec bers simultaneously relative to each other and the tierod whereby the binding member will be forced inwardly to engage thebottom of the rail flange and the clamping member will be forcedupwardly and inwardly to engage the top of the rail flange whereby toclamp the flange between said members. I

10. In a rail brace, the combination, with a tie rod,-of a clampingmember movable on the tie rod having an angular portion and a portionadapted to engage the top side of the rail flange, a binding membermovable upon the tie rod and having an angular portion coacting with theangular portion of the clamping member, a flat portion adapted to engagethe bottom side of the rail flange, and an upwardly extending projectionadapted to engage the edge of the rail flange, and means to adjust saidmembers, whereby the rail flange will be clamped on the two sides andedge thereof.

11. In a rail brace, the combination, with a tie rod, of a clampingmember movable on the tie rod having an angular portion and a portionadapted to engage the topside of the rail flange, a binding membermovable upon the tie rod and having an angular portion coacting with theangular portion of the clamping member, a flat portion adapted'to engagethe bottom side of the rail flange, and means to adjust said memberswhereby the rail flange will be clamped on two sides thereof. 7

12. In a rail brace, the combination, with a clamping member having aportion adapt-- ed to engage the top side of a rail flange of. variabledimensions and having a vertically thereon adjacent each rail flange andcom prising toothed clamping and binding members, and means whereby saidmembers may be adjusted relative to the tie rod and to each otherwhereby the rail flange will be clamped between the teeth of saidmembers. 7

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN G. MUELLER.

